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Participatory budgeting
To empower and decide
Medium term
Top-down
Active participation
Groupless
About

Participatory budgeting is a democratic tool that engages communities in political decision-making. It allows citizens not only to vote for representatives but also to directly decide on spending priorities and monitor government management.

The primary goal of participatory budgeting is to empower communities through direct involvement in decision-making. It also seeks to support projects that promote environmental protection and gender equity while strengthening trust in governance through effective resource allocation.

Benefits

  • Encourages inclusive participation and democratic governance by involving all stakeholders in budget planning and implementation. It also facilitates a collective prioritisation of public space interventions.

  • Improves policy effectiveness and legitimacy by enabling data-driven decisions that strengthen links between economic outcomes and gender and sustainability objectives.

  • Supports shared and sustainable governance based on civic collaboration and accountability, reinforcing the legitimacy of decisions regarding public space.

Importance

  • Promotes inclusion and balances participants’ decision-making power

Participatory budgeting enables citizens to influence the allocation of public funds directly, ensuring a fair distribution of resources. This method strengthens democratic participation and empowers underrepresented voices, contributing to a more equitable and sustainable society.

  • Enhances efficiency in resource allocation

Results-based budgeting links resource allocation to measurable social and environmental outcomes, ensuring financial commitments translate into tangible progress on gender equity and sustainability. This strategic approach boosts the long-term effectiveness of public policies and promotes adaptive governance.

Steps

  1. Plan the participatory budgeting process according to available funding, legal framework and territorial scope.

  2. Engage the community in collecting proposals for public space interventions, providing relevant information and participatory methods.

  3. Assess the feasibility of proposals, design the voting process and run information campaigns throughout.

  4. Conduct the process on the pre-selected dates.

  5. Implement the selected projects to transform urban public spaces into inclusive and sustainable environments.

  6. Evaluate the success of the participatory budgeting process using clear indicators to measure the impact on urban development.

Key Aspects

  • Adapt the process to institutional timelines and anticipate possible challenges

Align participatory processes with the administrative rhythms of general budget planning. To prevent complications, provide the necessary technical support and minimise barriers to proposal development.

  • Combine in-person and digital participation to reach broader audiences

Organise in-person meetings in various locations to ensure accessibility, especially for marginalised or peripheral communities. Set up physical voting points to reduce the digital divide, particularly in low-income areas.

  • Support the inclusion and participation of women and vulnerable groups

Provide materials in multiple languages and use simple, gender-sensitive communication. Offer civic education on budgeting processes to promote informed participation. Communicate how and when decisions are made and ensure transparency in the allocation of funds.

Outcomes

  • Supports community empowerment and more inclusive, sustainable urban development

Citizens take an active role in public decision-making and gain influence over administrative priorities. Funds are directed toward projects that prioritise gender equity and ecological sustainability.

  • Strengthens democratic governance, social cohesion and collective ownership

Budget allocation and public spending become more transparent, fostering collaboration among authorities, institutions, and the public. This reinforces a democratic culture where communities share responsibility for the urban environments they inhabit.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This website reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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